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Innocent Kurira, Sports Reporter
PONEL Youth Soccer Academy (PYSA) director Nelson Ndeka says he is overwhelmed by responses from Hwange district since they started training.
The academy, which is based in Dete, seeks to promote, teach and develop football at the lowest possible cost in the Dete community.
“We are really excited. We had done all the groundwork to get this project going before Covid-19 derailed our plans.
We were a bit uncertain how things would turn out after the lockdown but we are pleased that the boys are coming forward in numbers that we did not anticipate. We are targeting boys under the age of 15. That is our cut off age and we are still continuing with our recruitment process,” said Ndeka.
He said they had come up with the PYSA project after realising that vast talent was being lost to alcoholism and drugs because of lack of opportunities for young people in the district.
“The most important aspect of this project is to get young boys off the streets. There is a lot of talent in this province and projects like this one will help us tap into that talent. With the passion that the team l work with is showing, I am confident that we will be able to achieve our goals,” said Ndeka.
At the beginning of this year, the academy engaged the Hwange Rural District Council seeking land to build a football village that will benefit budding talent in Matabeleland North and is waiting for a response. — @innocentskizoe
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